Thrust-bearing



C. G. ROBERTON.

THRUST BEARING.

APPL1cATloNr|LED MAR.5, 1921.

Patentod Nov. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-snm i.

c. G. RoEaToN, TIIRUST BEARING.

APPLl-CATION FILED MAR. 5 192|.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lill I y ff "Thrust-Bearings UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`Specification `of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev.15,19e1.

Application med Maren 5, 1921. serial Nn. 450,050.

To all (whom 'it may concer/n Be 1t known that I, CHARLES GEORGE ROB- an'roN, a subject of the King `of Great Britain, residinf` at Naval Construction WVorks,

Barrow-in-Furness, in fthe `county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new `and useful Improvements inor Relating Sto j J (for whichI have filed an application in (rreat Britain No. 24384, on (")ctober 6, 1919,) of which the following is a specification. nThis invention relates to thrust bearings of the oil film lubrication t pe in "which separate bearing blocks or pas meet a continuous bearing surface.

According to this invention each bearing block or pad is made with a spherical `rear surface and is supported at either three or four points distributed around the center of the pad, the support at two points at least being upon balls and providing `for angular freedom of the pad `to allow the latter to accommodate itself to the conditions of the bearing.

The blocks or pads may be regarded as large halls one sideof which is cut awa or flattened' to produce thevfiat bearing sur ace.

` The radius or curvature of the spherical surface mustnot be small enough to produce undue side thrusts on the balls. j

In order that the said invention maybe clearly understoodand readily carried into effect," I will now describel the 'same more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in whichze- Figure l is acrosssection through part of a bearing embodyin this invention.`

i Fig. 2 is asectional etail view ofpart of the bearing. f i Fig. 3 is an elevation of the bearing.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner `in which the bearing blocks tilt.

Fig." 5 is a sectional view of a double thrust single collar bearing.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a double `thrust bearing with two thrust collars; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a sectional viewland an elevation `showing a modifica' tion of the hearing in "which the bearing pads are supported on four balls.

A is the shaft supported in the bearing and provided with a thrust ring B. C is a fixed bearing member having a channel c in its face. D, D are the bearing pads having Hat :bearing faces d and spherical rear faces d these bearing pads lying partly inside the channel or track c. E, E are the supporting balls against which the pads bear. iF visa stop or stud shown in Fig. 2,",Which may take the placeof one of the balls E and'iis adjustably screwed at f into the bearing C, the stop preventing the balls E 'and bearing pads D from revolving in the bearing. i

In the construction of bearing shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the pads D are earch supportedat three points, two of which are provided by the outer ring of balls E lying in the outer portion of the channel c, while the inner side of this channel -is formed with a sloping surface c', against which the `spherical face of the pads rests at a single point. Each of the balls E lies between a pair ofpads D and the pads, while prevented from free rotation in the channel c by the stop F, placed at any convenient point in the channel, are free `to adjust themselves to forward or backward rotation ofthe shaft A by the playallowed between the pads and the points of support.

In a bearing of this class the bearing pads `should be free `to adjust the bearing surfaces through a very small angle 4which allows the lubricating oil to enter between the stationary and rotating bearing surfaces and in the present construction the spherical rear faces of the pads permit the pads to open slightly at the entrance edge of their bearing faces, the action being ythe saine for both directions of motion, so that on `reversal of the shaft the pads reverse their opening action, facilitating vthe entry ofthe` lubricant in the well-known manner. This is illust'rated in an exaggerated form in Fig. e, where the arrows show the direction of movement of the moving bearing face and the direction of adjustment of the pads and supporting balls when such movement begius, causing the fiat bearing face (l of the pads to take up an angular position, shown in dotted lines. It is' to he `understooch'however, that this angle is extremely smalhcausing only a slight difference .inlthe thickness of the oil film, as it passes from the entering to the leaving edge of the pad. Owing to the spherical form of the back surfaces of the pad, the angular adjustment is around singlel thrust collar B, onv both sides of which is the double bearinOf C", each member Y carrying the set of pads -balls E, arranged in the manner shown inY and supporting Figs. 1 and 3; rIlhe single bearing therefore 'takes the` thrust `in both directions.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the shaft Ag.,s,provided with a pair of thrust collars B2 encircling a singlev centralbearing C2, provided on each side with the channels lo and a set of bearing padsD, which may be supported on anouter ring of balls and an ,inner sloping face in the mannerpalready described.

Figs. r7 8 are similar views to Figs. l

and 3, but show a modification in which the bearing pads are supported at four points by an outer ring of balls E, corresponding to the balls shown on ythe other modifications,

andan .inner ringof balls E', which are preferably of smaller diameter as they Support the `padsat` points nearer the center of -the bearing. Y In this case, the channel Vc of the bearing C is not provided .with'the slop- 1 ingsupporting'face c', theinner ring of .balls F/ taking the place of this supporting face. VThe ballsEv each assist in supporting` -two l'adjacent pads, as do theballs E, and .the pads arefree toadj ust themselves in any angular direction, so as toprovide for the opening `of the pads at the entrance edge, as

already described with reference to Fig. 4. To` retain thel thrust. collar B -in place in the bearing, the latter may be provided with a number of clips G, of which one is shown in Figs. '7 Vand 8, screwed to the face of the `bearing C yand having lips extending over ther edge of the thrust collar B. The bearing is provided witha stop such as F shown infFig. 2', to prevent displacement of the vpads' and balls.

. What I claim. anddesire to secure by Letters 'Patent of the United States is .I l. In a thrust bearing of the kind set forth,a plurality of bearingblocks each having al fiat "bearing surface and a part spherical rear surface,fand a three Ypoint support for the spherical surfaces ofthe said blocks,

the 'three'- points of which are distributed support for 'the spherical surfaces of the said blocks, of which at least two points of support lare on rotary rolling members.

3.7In a thrust bearing of the kind set forth, a plurality of bearing blocks each having a flat bearing surface and a part vspherical rear surface, and a multiple point support for the spherical surfaces of the said block, of which at least two points of support are on balls.

4. In a thrust bearing of the kind set forth, a plurality of bearing blocks each having a fiat bearing surface and a part spherical rear surface. a channeled bearing member carrying the said blocks and pro- .vided with a bearing face against which the ber carrying the said blocks and provided with a bearing face against which the spherical surfaces of the blocks bear at one point and a set of rolling members lying within the channel of the said bearing member and giving a further pair of points of support to each spherical surface.

6. In a thrust bearing of the kind set forth a plurality of bearing blocks each having a flat bearing surface and a part spherical rear surface, supporting balls each placed between a pair of adjacent blocks to form two points of support for each spherical surface at one side of the said surface and supporting means for the other side of the said blocks.

7. In bearing as claimed in claim 2, ,a stop situated between a pair of the said rolling members to prevent the members and the blocks revolving in the bearing.

S. In a bearing as claimed in claim 3, a stop situated between a pair of the said supporting balls to prevent the balls and blocks revolving in the bearing.

9. A thrust bearing for shafts comprising a collar on the shaft, a fixed bearing member encircling the shaft and having an an* nular channel in the face opposite to the said collar7 a plurality of bearing blocks arranged in the annular channel and having fiat bearing faces meeting the shaft collar, each of the said blocks having a part spherical back surface and a multiple point support for the spherical surfaces of the blocks, of whi lh at least two points of support are on rfitary rolling members. ,l

t CHAS. G. ROBERTON. 

